Biological apparatus



Jan. 2, 1940. J REYNIERS 2,185,711

BIOLOGICAL APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1938 F76. 1. F/G. Z

INVENTOR. L/fl/Wf-J ,4. ffir/m ai BY 05% W ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,185,711 BIOLOGICALAPPARATUS A 7 James A. Reyniers, South Bend, Ind.

Application April 25, 1938, Serial No. 204,251

15 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in biological apparatus, and hasfor its primary object to maintain a biological specimen in a controlledgerm-free environment for an indefinite period of time, and to providemeans for handling, feeding, cleaning, treating and otherwisemanipulating the specimen without destroying said environment.

A further object is to provide a sealed container having spaced accessopenings, wherein one of said openings is sealed by an antiseptic liquidand the other is sealed by a flexible glove.

A further object is to provide a device of this character comprising acontainer open at its lower end and resting in an antiseptic liquid, andprovided with means for maintaining a continuous supply of fresh andfiltered air therein.-

A further object is to provide a device of this character including aliquid container providedwith a support for mounting a bell shapedhousing in a position above the bottom of the container and below theliquid level in the container to seal the bell and at the same timeaccommodate manual access to the interior thereof.

A further object is to provide a liquid sealed device of this characterwith means for retaining a specimen in a selected access position remotefrom the liquid seal.

Other objects will be apparent from the description and appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a front view of the device with part shown in section taken online 1-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse cross sectional view taken on line 2-2of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the numeral i designates a liquid container having abottom H and side walls l2, said container being open at its top. Ahorizontal false bottom 13 is fixedly mounted in container ill insubstantially spaced relation above the'bottom and preferably somewhatbelow the upper edges of the side walls l2. False bottom I3 has a largeopening l4 at one end thereof and has an opening l5 therein spaced fromopening I4 and from the side walls i2.

A shelf structure is supported by false bottom l3 at the margin ofopening 15, and preferably comprises a ring l6 resting on said falsebottom and carrying a plurality of uprights H. A ring 18 is secured touprights II in horizontal position intermediate the ends thereof, andsaid ring l8 serves to support a shelf 19 having a central opening 20therein. The uprights I! support a shelf 2| at their upper ends inspaced relation above shelf l9. Shelf 2| has a central opening 22therethrough at the margin of which is seend of the collar 21 may beprovided with a cir- -cumferential bead 29 or the like in which the openend of an elongated rubber glove 30 fits. A ring clamp 3| fits snuglywithin the end of the glove to lock the same to the collar in air tightperipheral relation. I

An elongated tubular member 32 is supported in vertical positionadjacent the bell 24, as by a bracket 33. The lower end of the tube 32is preferably out-turned at 34 and terminates in a nipple portion 35which projects through the adjacent side wall 12 of the container illadjacent the topthereof. The tube 32 preferably contains suitablematerial 36 for filtering air, and is preferably sealed at its upperend, as by a rubber cork 31. A conduit 38 extends through collar 21below the mounting of glove 30 and is connected to tube 32, as by anipple 39 adjacent the top of said tube.

A similar elongated tube 40 is mounted by bracket 41 adjacent the bell24 and is out-turned at 42 at its lower end to project through the upperend of an adjacent side wall I2 of container l0. Tube 40 contains an airfilter 43. Tube 40 is sealedat its upper end by a rubber cork 44 and hasa nipple 45 therebelow for connection with one end of a conduit 46 whoseopposite end extends through and communicates with the interior ofcollar 21 below the mounting for glove 30.

In. use, the biological specimens to be maintained in the apparatus areplaced upon the top shelf 2|, on which they are confined by the wall ofbell 24 and by the cylindrical projection 23. The container I0 is thenfilled with an antiseptic liquid to a level above the false bottom asdesignated by line 50 in Figs. 1 and 2. The nipple 35 of tube 32 is thenconnected to a source of air at a pressure slightly above atmosphericpressure. Air is thus passed through tube 32 to be filtered by material36 therein and passes into the bell 24 through conduit 38. Tube 40 isopen to atmosphere, and the air in the tube is expelled therethrough bythe slight pressure differential. Intake conduit 38 and outlet conduit46 are preferably positioned in opposite relation so that the glove willbe interposed therebetween to insure circulation of the air through thebell. It will be observed that the liquid in container Ill forms an airseal at the bottom of bell 2|; and the connections of collar 21 with thebell neck and with the periphery of the open end of the sleeve areair-tight. Thus the supply of air to the apparatus is restricted to thefilter tube 42 and eliminates infection of the contained specimen byair-borne infective units. The filter 43 in outlet tube 40 is notstrictly necessary, but is desirable to guard against back-pressure inthe event of reduction of pressure in the air supply line.

The rubber glove 30 is preferably of sufllcient length to reach lowershelf l9 which is preferably used for storage of food, instruments orthe like, the glove passing through cylinder 23 of the upper shelf asillustrated. Thus the operator may insert his hand and arm into theglove for full access to the specimens and to the material storedwithout danger of infection of the specimen by contact. Food and waterfor the specimen is preferably sterilized exteriorly and introduced intothe apparatus by means of scaled containers therefor. To introduce suchcontainers, or instruments, etc., the operator reaches through openingl4 in the false bottom, thence below said false bottom to opening l5,and thence up within the bell to storage shelf Hi. In this way thematerial introduced and the operator's arm are both efiectivelydisinfected before reaching the interior of the bell.

By the use of this apparatus a specimen may be confined in a completelycontrolled germ-free environment for long periods of time as may benecessary for observation or experiment.

While the apparatus here illustrated is of a size intended for smallanimals, such as guinea pigs or the like, it will be obvious that itssize' may be increased and structural details changed to any extentdesired as to accommodate humans or large animals, all without departingfrom the.

method being to create a suction in the bell by connecting nipple 35 toa suction pump and closing the open end of tube 40, whereby thenecessary liquid to completely fill the bell may be drawn upwardlytherein from container I0.

I claim:

1. Biological apparatus comprising a liquid container, a false bottom insaid container having a pair of openings, a bell supported by said falsebottom at the margin of one opening, said bell having an opening at itsupper end, a glove mounted in peripherally sealed relation at said bellopening, and a support carried by said false bottom and positionedwithin said bell above the liquid level in said container.

2. Biological apparatus comprising a liquid container, 9. false bottomin said container having a pair of spaced openings, a bell havingopenings at opposite ends, said bell resting on said false bottom at themargin of one opening thereof, the liquid in said container filling thesame to a level above said false bottom to seal the lower end of saidbell, and a glove having its open end peripherally sealed at the upperopening of said bell to afford sealed access into said bell.

3. Biological apparatus comprising a container open at its top andcontaining a liquid, a housing, means supporting said housing with itslower end below the liquid level in said container and above the bottomof the container, said housing having an opening therein abovesaidliquid level, and an elongated flexible access member' sealing saidopening.

4. Biological apparatus comprising a container open at its top andcontaining liquid, a housing open at its top and bottom, meanssupporting said housing in said container with its bottom opening belowthe liquid level and above the bottom of the container, a specimensupport having an opening and positioned within said housing above theliquid level, and a glove sealing the upper opening of said housing toafi'ord sealed manual access to said support.

5. Biological apparatus comprising a container open at its top andcontaining liquid, a housing open adjacent its upper and lower ends,means supporting the housing with its lower opening above the bottom ofthe container and below the liquid level, a glove sealing the upperopening of said housing, and means for circulating air in said housing.

6. Biological apparatus comprising a container open at its top andcontaining liquid, a housing in said container having an opening abovethe liquid level and an opening below the liquid level, said latteropening being manually accessible, a specimen support in said housingabove the liquid level and having an access opening therein, a glove,and means for sealing the periphery of the open end of said glove at theupper opening of said housing, said glove extending to said specimensupport.

7. Biological apparatus comprising a housing, liquid trap means, thelower end of said housing being immersed in said trap to form a liquidseal, said housing having an opening above said trap, a glove, meansperipherally mounting the open end of said glove in sealed relation atsaid housing opening, air intake and outlet conduits communicating withsaid housing and a filter in each conduit, said intake conduitcontaining air under pressure.

8. Biological apparatus comprising a housing having spaced openings,liquid containing means mounting said housing with one opening below theliquid level therein, flexible means sealed at the other opening andaifordingssea'led manual access within said housing, air intake meanscommunicating with said housing and including a filter, and a filteredair exhaust for said housing.

9. Biological apparatus comprising a transparent housing open at itsbottom and having a restricted open neck at its top, a'collar sealed atsaid neck and having spaced openings intermediate its ends', a conduitcommunicating with each opening, a rubber glove, means clamping theperiphery of the glove at the outer end of said collar, and a water trapsealing the bottom opening thereof, said bottom opening being manuallyaccessible through said trap.

l0. Biological apparatus comprising a transparent housing open at itsbottom, a liquid container, a horizontal partition spaced above thebottom of said container and having spaced openings, said housingresting on said partition at the margin of one opening, and specimensupporting means within said housing supported by said partition andhaving an opening therein, and liquid filling said container to a levelabove said partition and below said supporting means.

11. Biological apparatus comprising a housing open at its bottom, meansmounting said housing for manual access through said bottom including aliquid trap sealing said bottom, a specimen support in said housingabove said water trap and manually accessible through said housingbottom, and a vertical wall projecting upwardly from said support at aportion thereof and cooperating with said housing to confine a specimenon said support.

12. Biological apparatus comprising a housing open at its bottom, aliquid container, means mounting said housing in said container with itsbottom spaced above the bottom of the container and below the liquidlevel therein, an apertured specimen support in saidhousing above saidliquid level, and a specimen retainer encircling the aperture in saidsupport.

13. Biological apparatus comprising a housing having an opening adjacentits bottom, a liquid trap sealing said housing opening, a storagesupport in said housing, a specimen support spaced above said storagesupport in said housing, said supports having complementary aperturestherein for manual access thereto from said opening, and specimenretaining means encircling the aperture in said specimen support.

14. Biological apparatus comprising a, housing having upper and loweropenings, an elongated flexible glove peripherally sealed at said upperopening, a liquid trap sealing said lower opening,

a pair of spaced supports in said housing each manually accessible fromeach opening, and means projecting upwardly from one support andcooperating with said housing for retaining a specimen on said support.

15. Biological apparatus comprising a liquid container having an openingabove the liquid level thereof, a housing carried by said container andhaving a manually accessible opening therein below said liquid level andan opening above said liquid level, and an elongated flexible accessmember sealing the housing opening above the liquid level.

JAMES A. REYNIERS.

Patent No. 2,185.711 Granted January 2, 1940 JAMES A. REYNIERS The aboveentitled patent was extended January 8, 1952, under the provisions ofthe act of June 30, 1950, for 2 years and 328 days from the expirationof the original term thereof.

Commissioner of Patents.

